What do you want to hear?
by Cathhhz
Summary: After a very painful breakup, Hermione wants a shot in the Muggle world. However, she will be rushed on the other side of Europe in the company of Draco Malfoy who is in charge of her protection. Dramione! My first story :)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: **Heartbreak

Hermione had spent two weeks with her parents in a little chalet in the countryside. It had been a great time to relax and detach from the reality. The war had been brought to an end more than a whole year ago, but some parts just never left her conscience. She kept thinking about the ones who passed away, and she had nightmares every other day. Nevertheless, during those two weeks, she decided to take her mind off of that matter and easily managed to finish the eleven novels she had fit with difficulty in her little suitcase.

When she came back, she felt contented and calm. A couple of hours after her arrival in London with her parents, she eagerly arrived at The Burrow. On the way up to Ron's room, she was greeted by Molly, hugged by Ginny, and offered a strange colored bean by George. The Weasleys loved her, and she loved each and every one of them. She was expecting Ron to greet her warmly, but she was deceived. She felt the tense atmosphere the second a hair of hers entered the little private space he was allowed in the house. Ron was avoiding her gaze, and she knew it. She tried to ignore it at first, but he seemed distant or concerned about something. Usually, she would arrive at his house, go straight up to his room, jump into his embrace, and they would sit down on the floor, and talk, and laugh, and steal kisses from time to time until it was time to eat, or sleep.

After a couple of dozens of minutes of silence, she felt her patience stretch. She was patient, but everyone had their limits. Hermione took a deep breath and felt her heart racing as the question erupted from her lips, "Is… something wrong?"

Staring straight out the window, he answered, "Uhh… yeah… Want to go take a walk or something?" His house was way too crowded, and this isn't something he wanted to discuss with so many ears in the house.

Wanting to light up the mood, she asked, "We can bring a snack and nibble in field when we'll sit down to rest, don't you think that'd be a good idea?"

"No, no… Hermione. We just have some things to discuss I think," quickly replied Ron.

Hermione was so confused. What was happening? Her heart was trying to get free of her rib cage, "Why can't you just tell me here?"

Ron finally looked at her straight into the eyes, and said, "Fine, I'll break it to you clearly: I just don't love you anymore."

Well, that definitely brought her heart to a halt. That's not exactly how she pictured their reunion. Actually, it was probably at the top of her list of Top 10 things that won't happen today.

He looked down at his hands and continued, "I don't know… I feel like we're just too different. We don't have the same goals in life. When you were gone, I spent a lot of time thinking about all this. I've started doubting my feelings over a month ago, and I'm not sure I can continue on this path with you."

A punch would have definitely been more appreciated than this. If punches rained on her, she would have actually felt better than in this moment. Silent tears were dripping from her cheeks onto her lap. Unable to talk, she just stared at him for a couple of minutes which felt like hours. Unable to bare his silent, she apparated. She just wanted to get out, to get away.

She got to London, took the metro and used her legs which seemed to weigh a ton each to get to her parents' house. Her parents had gone grocery shopping, so she left a note on the kitchen counter saying she got home earlier than planned because she felt nauseated. She climbed up to her room and fell asleep with tears flowing from her eyes even though it was approximately three in the afternoon.

She spent the next three days in bed. She briefly told her parents what happened and they even brought her food up to her room so she would eat. They didn't ask too many questions and she felt extremely grateful her parents were who they were. She could leave the Wizarding World, she'd be able to make a life in a Muggle way….

The following day seemed like the previously for Hermione when she woke up in her bed with her eyes all puffy, but Harry was sitting on the end of her bed. She jumped and even let a little scream out. She wasn't expecting him, but he was her best friend. She should've known he would eventually get here. Now, she was ashamed he saw her in such a miserable state.

"Bloody hell, Hermione! You've got to get a grip on yourself," exclaimed Harry. She looked at peace while asleep, but she looked terrible awake. Her eyes were red, there were dried up tears were all over her cheeks and neck, her hair had not been taken care of for a few days, and used up tissues could be found everywhere in her room.

"Harry, I'm so sorry you have to see me like this," whispered Hermione.

"Ron told me about-" started Harry.

"DON'T! Please, Harry. I can't hear any more of this," snapped Hermione. Tears started rolling off her cheeks.

Harry got up, opened her drawer, took out a pair of socks, pants, shirt and underwear, put them all in a pile on Hermione's stomach and carried her out of her room. He brought her in the bathroom where he set the water of the bath and opened the curtains. He knew the sun would help. He brought her a clean towel, and got out of the bathroom.

"Take your time, Hermione," Harry said softly.

Hermione got undressed and slowly slipped in the hot water. The sun felt brightened up her mood, and after that nice little bath, she almost felt okay. She put on what Harry picked out for her expecting everything not to match, but surprisingly enough, it looked fine. She wondered if it was a coincidence while getting out of the bathroom. She heard chattering, and concluded that Harry was chatting with her parents. When she got in the kitchen, her parents and Harry smiled at her.

Mr. Granger spoke first, "Well, well, if it isn't the little madam herself."

Mrs. Granger threw a dark stare at her husband. She then smiled at Hermione and said, "You look great darling."

Hermione lowered her eyes, "Thanks mom."

"So, shall we go?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. She didn't know where she was going, but getting out of her bedroom had had a fantastic effect on her, and getting out of the house would probably enhance that good feeling starting inside her.

Harry and Hermione spent the day walking in the streets of London. They sipped some coffee in a sweet little café, stopped at the library, ate some ice cream… They talked a lot, and mostly about the future: jobs, the Wizarding World, Hogwarts and making families.

"Yeah, well, Ginny and I obviously want kids. We talked about it already. I mean, we wouldn't have them now, Ginny is going on to 19, but eventually… You understand," explained Harry.

"Haha, yes. I understand…. And I wish I could say the same about Ron and me…. but that's over it seems, "muttered Hermione.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't want to bring up that subject…. It slipped out of my mind," Harry apologized.

Hermione was lost in thoughts. It had been such a great day, and this little comment ruined her mood in a matter of seconds. She knew she should ignore it and concentrate her attention on the great and calming day she spent with her best friend, but she just couldn't. Ron was always on her mind.

"How about I bring you back home?" enquired Harry.

"Alright," said Hermione absentmindedly.

When they got home, Harry hugged her and tried to reassure her. Time would fix things, time always does. He had a date with Ginny, so he left quite quickly after that.

Hermione got in her house. She knew she had to be productive, do something, to get her mind off Ron. She started by cleaning up her room. Her mom had picked up the used up tissues and made her bed, but she felt like she needed some change.

She spent the week repainting her bedroom, shopping for new bed sheets, rearranging the positioning of her furniture, and sorting her clothes in piles which she wanted to give away. She also started baking cookies with her mother, and taking care of the flowers with her father. She was spending quality time with people whom would love her no matter what, and she slowly did feel less bitter about the Ron-thing ending so abruptly.

A week later, she received an owl from Ron:

Hermione, I want to apologize the way things occurred. Would it be possible to talk face to face?

Hermione threw the letter away. What took him so long anyway? If he wanted to talk to her, he could get out of his room, and make the effort to get to her, couldn't he? Not only had he thrown away their relationship, he threw away almost a decade of friendship. It was betrayal, that's what it was.

The next day, there was a ring at the doorbell. Her parents had gone off to work, so she was alone. She opened the door, and saw a half smiling Ron on her porch. She felt like slamming the door in his face. He would've deserved it, but since he made a little effort, she guessed she could do the same. And she still loved that guy after all.

"So… um, would you walk with me a little?" asked Ron shyly.

Ron had cut his hair, chosen clothes he knew she particularly liked, and for these little attentions, she answered, "Fine, give me a minute."

She left him in front of the door, and went inside to search for her keys. Once she found them, she got out without even glancing at him, locked the door, and stored the keys in her little beige messenger bag she had bought during the week.

Ron got down the stairs first. "So, how was your day?" Ron asked courageously.

"It's ten in the morning Ronald. I haven't had time to do much honestly," snickered Hermione.

"But I know you, you get up at seven and start getting busy the second your eyes open. You've always been like that. That's how you like it," replied Ron. She was obviously feeling defensive, and he had to understand. Harry had warned him that it might not be a good idea to visit Hermione. However, he chose to follow his inner feeling. He couldn't lie to himself, seeing her crumble under his words had hurt him more than he'd like to admit to himself. Maybe that meant, he still felt something for her.

Hermione smiled. "I guess you do know me then. I actually baked pancakes, finished an Alexandre Dumas novel, and was getting ready to water the flowers in the yard before you rang," she conceded.

The duo walked, and talked for around two hours. Hermione loosened up as time passed.

"Would you come at The Burrow for dinner? My mom is angry at me for doing what I did. She loves you and wants to make sure you are all right," babbled Ron.

Hermione felt like something was wrong. This wasn't possible. She couldn't still love Ron, but act like friends forever. It just wasn't enough. She constantly had to fight her own arm muscles which felt attracted to Ron's. "My parents let on that we were going out tonight. I can't leave today, sorry," Hermione lied. Yeah, he was going to have to work a little harder than that.

They were in front of her house now.

"Well, I should head off home then. Are you doing anything tomorrow?" questioned Ron.

"I'm always doing something. Am I not?" Hermione said smiling, "But I guess I find time for Molly."

Ron happily responded, "Thank you. See you tomorrow, Mione." He then apparated out of sight.

Hermione's head was spinning. It felt great and terrible spending time with Ron. It made her happy, but it was a constant struggle. Could she push aside her feelings to let friendship take place? He had once mentioned Lavender during their conversations… Was there still something between them? What if during her little vacation, she had visited and forced ideas into him? Was Ron really that influenceable? Was he hiding something from her? Was she just being paranoiac about the whole situation? He said he didn't love her, but he kept poking at things they did when together. Was going to The Burrow a bad idea after all? All this was confusing her, and she didn't talk to her parents that night. She was too absorbed in her own thoughts.

When she arrived at The Burrow the next day via the Floo Network, Molly ran up to her and hugged her. They started chatting. Molly told her that Ron spent the morning getting the Gnomes away, and that he was currently taking a moment to clean himself up before they ate. Ginny ran down the stairs, George followed her, and Arthur came in through the door. She always felt overwhelmed with happiness with this family. They had become her family, but Ron was ruining everything.

After their meal, Ron asked Hermione if she would go up to his room because she had left her sweater the last time. She wasn't sure she wanted to go back in that room where she crumbled last time, but she went anyway. She sat down on his bed while he started looking for it. When he found it, he sat down next to her, accidentally brushing his arm against hers. Then he turned towards her and handed her the piece of clothing that was hers.

She took it, and sighed, "What changed between us? The last two days felt like nothing ever changed, like you were still mine and I was still yours. You can't stop loving someone overnight. It just doesn't work that way. Don't you still love me?"

"What do you want to hear?" asked Ron.

"Yes," voiced Hermione.

Ron looked at her straight into the eyes. He said, "Then, yes."

"But I don't want to hear what I want to hear! I want to hear the truth, what you feel. I don't want you to play with me, Ron. You can't do that to me," exclaimed Hermione.

"I don't love you the way you want me to," Ron conceded in all honesty.

Hermione got up, her sweater in her hands, went down the stairs silently. The Weasleys were in the living room. She acted as tough as she can, demolished as she was, and wished them goodnight before leaving the Devon and returning to London.

Back at home, she fell back to tears. Being so full of emotions caused her whole body to tremble. She felt cold and sad and mad and empty and annoyed and disgusted and abandoned and tricked and used… A gazillion thoughts were running through her head. How can your mood be turned over in a fraction of seconds, the length of just a few words, barely a sentence?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: **New beginnings

Hermione was reading a John Steinbeck book in Hyde Park in London. Four years ago, Ron left her abruptly, and a couple of weeks later, she learned that all her doubts had been correct: he had been secretly seeing Lavender in the weeks before she had gone on vacation with her parents. He hadn't cheated on her to say properly, but it was as close as you can get without it being considered cheating. Cheating is being unfaithful, and physically, none of that had happened. How idiotic of him of losing interest in the brightest witch of their age? When she discovered their little secret via Ginny who felt incredibly guilty of betrayal, she vowed to leave the Wizarding World. Harry eventually took sides with Ron. Being with his sister, he spent a lot of time near him. The Golden trio crashed, and the distances between Hermione and Harry and Ron grew every day. Her decision was made: she wanted a shot at the muggle world, and nothing or no one was stopping her.

She needed stability in her life, and she wasn't getting that with everything reminding her of him. Over the weeks following the news of Ron's hangouts with Lavender, she continued the changes that started with her bedroom. She decided to leave her parents' house. She found a little cozy apartment not far from the university she attended. Dumbledore had spoken very wise words: "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." She painted every wall white and made sure every room was brightly light. The white also made her feel wrapped in a pure atmosphere. It just made her happy. And obviously, books could be found everywhere: on every table, balancing on the side of the tub, mixed with a pile of movies, under her pillow… She even painted in black lettering (even her walls resembled the pages of a book!) her favorite quote of the moment: "A room without books is like a body without a soul." – Marcus Tullius Ciero.

She took classes at the University College London in the objective of eventually starting a career as an English teacher. Just like in Hogwarts, she was first of her class, impressing many with her organization skills and her bright mind. Other students viewed her as a genius. To pay the rent of her apartment, she tutored younger children in a nearby school and worked as a librarian at the London Public Library, her second favorite place after the Hyde Park. She just loved the Hyde Park. The sound of the multiple fountains was relaxing and taking naps on one of the multiple benches had become part of her weekly routine. People even starting noticing her daily presence, and she was often greeted by the frequent users like herself. She was finally at ease. She finally felt like she could breathe. Finally, she felt happy.

One afternoon, as she lifted her head up from her textbook, something caught her eye. There was a man on the other side of the park who had very pale blond hair. He reminded her of Draco Malfoy. He was a boy she met in her pre-teen and teen years. He had been a real pain to deal with. He mocked her and her friends at every occasion he could find. She wondered what he had become. The war could not have possibly changed his views of the world. The man was sitting on the other side of the park with a newspaper in hand. He wasn't looking at her, but she could tell from across the park that he resembled Draco Malfoy more than she could ever hope. This was starting to obsess her, she had to make sure she was mistaken. And if it was him, she could get news from the Wizarding World from which she has cut all contact. It was a win-win solution she thought, so she got up and started walking towards him.

Approximately two meters away from him, he lifted his eyes off the paper. "Well, well, if this isn't Granger… Why don't you sit here milady? I think we've got some catching up to do, am I mistaken?" asked Draco gleefully.

Hermione sat down as she was told, but made sure to keep a good distance between the two of them as she judged it wasn't secure enough for that kind of proximity. "Well, well, what a surprise it is to see you in the Muggle world, Malfoy."

"I would like to point out that you're sitting on my bench," replied Draco. He bent over her to show her a little marking on the edge of the bench where it was clear the initials "D.M." were evident.

"Is that really your doing?" exclaimed Hermione.

"Indeed it is," confirmed eagerly Draco.

"Malfoy! You can't just carve your initials wherever it pleases you! It is an illegal act," snapped Hermione.

"Would you reprimand a seven year old carving his initials on a public bench where there are dozens of other unnatural carvings when he's on his first trip in London?" inquired Draco amusingly knowing the answer.

"Ugh, forget it. Anyhow, what brings you here at this precise moment?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Well, I'm actually here for some very important business…" started Draco.

"Some business…" repeated Hermione suspiciously.

"Haven't you heard about how great my company is doing? They talk about it every week in the Daily Prophet!" boasts Draco.

"Well, I've-" Began Hermione.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just playing. As a matter of fact, I'm here because I have some business to deal with…. With you," interrupted Draco.

"What? Repeat that," said Hermione doubting her hearing for the first time in a long while.

"No. Let's go to your place, I'll explain everything on the way," declared Draco while getting up.

As he got up, Hermione noticed the way he was dressed. He was surprisingly very well dressed in men's muggle fashion. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway on his forearms and a gray sleeveless vest on top. "As you wish, Sire," grumbled Hermione. What kind of business could he possibly have with her? Why was he showing up so randomly? And if he was searching for her, how did he know she was in that park at that time? Had he been spying her?

"Alright, so you're now wondering if I've been spying on you, am I right? Yeah, that's what I thought. Well, to answer, no. I haven't been spying on you, at least, not for more than 15 minutes. I've been sent here, because…. You're in some big trouble let's say…. So, we're leaving tomorrow for Monaco, no discussion allowed," stated Draco.

Hermione stopped stiffly. "That is definitely not happening. I am in NO WAY following you like a little dog you get to drag wherever it pleases you," barked an unpleased Hermione.

"Calm down, come on, or we'll never get to your little apartment a block away," observed Draco.

"Fine, but I'm not leaving tom-"started Hermione.

Draco rolled his eyes, and said, "I know you have you last final tomorrow. Our plane departs at 4:30. You'll have time to do your exam, and pack afterwards. You have the whole night for your third and final study of that brick of a book of yours."

Hermione's steps came to a halt again, and said bewildered, "You even have my schedule?"

Draco simple smiled and continued walking. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, until they reached the door to her apartment. "Uhh, it's a little messy…" warned Hermione.

When Draco stepped in, he was immediately shocked by the amount of books that were everywhere. It was impossible to look in front without having a book directly in your view. "This place is so small. Why is everything white? It seems like it's under construction."

Hermione argued, "In my opinion, it looks clean, modern and inspiring. You can keep those unwelcomed little comments to yourself. Now, explain what's going on. I want the complete story."

"Whatever pleases you, Granger. I thought my mother would let me lead our family company, but after a few years of waiting, I grew tired of waiting and decided to become an auror. Since my background wasn't as clean as most other beginners, I was always given the boring things to do. I was able to prove myself, and have started being assigned bigger cases over the last couple of months. I think this is my biggest case yet! Anyways, they just told me they had a case, and asked if I was interested. I had no clue you were involved in all honesty. They prone confidentiality at a very high level. I agreed, and quickly learned that you were the young damsel in distress. They gave me everything I needed to find you. Also, don't worry. I've warned your parents and taken care of your jobs. You're all set to leave for some vacation with the no less than my great person," explained Draco.

"That makes no sense. I'm living a very quiet and peaceful life. I'm not in danger! And even if I was, they could've contacted me! I am, after all, one of the greatest witches of our time," barked a frustrated Hermione.

Draco shrugged, and started taking the books off the living room couch. Hermione was just staring at him. He took off the top layers of clothes, lay down on her couch, and asked with a wink, "Would you mind shutting the lights off?"

It was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes at him. She closed the lights and shut herself in her room.

When she woke up at seven o'clock in the morning, the smell of freshly baked croissants filled up the apartment. Draco had gone out to buy them, and she actually felt thankful for that gentle gesture coming from him. She wasn't used to such behaviour from him towards her. It was odd, but she definitely preferred things this way. They chatted through their meal, and then Hermione got ready to leave for her final. Draco told her he would stay here. He had found a very interesting book from Franz Kafka and decided to read it while she was having fun at school.

When she got out of her exam, she wished all her fellow classmates a good summer, and lied about being available to hang out this summer. Even if Draco hadn't appeared out of nowhere on the previous day, she would not have planned anything with them. She avoided bars and clubs. Music has been something that exited her life with Ron. She now enjoyed more than anything silence or natural sounds like the birds chirping in summer. She started walking towards her house, and saw that Draco was waiting for her across the street.

When she reached him, he immediately presented a hand to her, and asked, "May I carry your bag?"

She handed him her bag. It was very heavy, and she was actually glad he proposed to help her. However, she found his behaviour a little abnormal, and said, "When did you become such a gentleman? Carrying bags, buying croissants…. When did my status migrate from being a dirty filthy mudblood to an actual human being?"

Draco replied defensively, "Can you really blame a child that has heard his parents repeat the same speech for years? I was merely repeating what my parents said. I grew up, matured… I learned to respect others you see. I've established my own beliefs and values. Also, I've learned that women just can't resist such a gentleman's demands, and it happens that I like women."

Draco smirked at Hermione who rolled her eyes while letting a chuckle out. When they reached her house, she realized he had either gotten out without locking the door, or used magic.

"Oh, right! Alohomora," said Draco softly before pushing the door open for Hermione to enter first.

Draco closed the door behind him. He threw her bag on the couch and followed her into her bedroom.

"So, how long will we be gone? A hint would help me pack my bags," said Hermione. She went to her wardrobe and got out a small flower printed luggage. She threw it open on her bed and looked at Draco, waiting for the answer to her question.

"Pack like you were leaving for more than a month. I don't know how long we'll be gone. We might sleep in different locations during the upcoming weeks too," replied Draco casually. He then bent over to pick up a Shakespeare book which he then slipped in a pocket inside the jacket he was wearing.

"Aren't you going to ask for permission?" said Hermione while raising one of her eyebrows.

"I already know the answer, Granger," said Draco smirking. He heard her sigh and then got out of her room to leave her space to pack up.

An hour later, Hermione shuts the door of her room. Draco turns around and sees that she's ready for their departure. She has her small flower-printed luggage, a Herschel Little America Backpack and a small beige messenger bag.

"You don't have any luggage?" observed Hermione while she was eyeing him suspiciously.

"I asked the elves at the Malfoy Manor to take care of my things. Everything should already be there at this moment," responded Draco.

"Alright. Should I call a cab to go to the airport?" asked Hermione, trying to change the subject.

"If you're against apparating-" started Draco.

Hermione turned around, grabbed the phone on the counter and quickly dialed the number.

Five minutes later, Draco was packing her things in the trunk of the cab while Hermione was giving instructions to the cab driver. Draco sat down beside Hermione in the back seat when he was done. She subtly showed him how to tie his seatbelt. They left both smiling inside. An unexpected trip was waiting for them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: **Falling in love with the world

"Malfoy, these tickets aren't for Monaco…" noted Hermione.

"Are you really complaining about going to Nice?" laughed Draco.

"No, but you said-"began Hermione.

"Actually, we're boarding a plane for Nice, and then a helicopter from Nice to Monaco. Then, we'll take a small walk to get where we'll spend the next days, or weeks…" explained Draco.

"Can I have the address of that place?" begged Hermione.

"No, you'll see when we get there," sneered Draco.

"Fine. Why are our tickets for first class? I'm pretty sure the Ministry doesn't allow big enough sums of money for aurors to travel in first class," nagged Hermione.

"Well, I paid the difference. I want to travel in first class. That's how Malfoys-"argued Draco.

"Which explains the helicopter too…" cuts Hermione.

"Yeah, would you have preferred a limousine?" teased Draco.

"No, a yacht would have been cool though," joked Hermione.

"I'm saving that one for later," hinted Draco.

Hermione sighed; Malfoy had not changed completely. She opened a Ken Kesey book. Draco chose to simply look out the window.

Approximately an hour later, they heard the flight attendant call people requiring special attention and people travelling in first class. They got up and went to present their tickets. As they boarded the plane, they heard the flight attendant call people who had their seats located at the back of the plane and then people who would be seated in the middle of the plane.

The two hour flight passed by rather quickly for Hermione who dozed off immediately after the wheels of the plane left the ground. Finals had really exhausted her. She was gently shaken awake by Draco.

"We're landing, Granger!" yelped Draco excitedly.

"Grhm," grumbled Hermione.

"Oh come on, Granger. Open those eyes, and look outside. It's worth it," murmured Draco.

Hermione raised herself and lift an arm to raise the flap covering the window. Immediately as she saw the outside, she jumped. They were going to land on the water if this plane didn't fly higher!

"Bloody hell! We're going to fall in the ocean!"

"Calm down, no we're not. The landing runway is like a small peninsula," informed Draco. He then started to hear her breathing slow down.

"Thanks for the sweet wake up call, Malfoy," replied Hermione sarcastically before turning back to her window. Her gaze could not leave the intense turquoise water. Even when they landed, she tilted her head to keep the sight of the ocean as long as possible.

When they stepped off the plane, they saw their helicopter, their pilot and two very well dressed men waiting for them. It was a little 500 meter walk to get there. Hermione couldn't believe it. It seemed like they stepped right into a movie. These things didn't happen for real. But then again, this was Draco's doing. And it was insane.

Draco's voice brought her back to reality. "Just a warning. You might be called Mrs. Malfoy," he said with assurance. "It was simpler that way on the phone," added Draco defensively after the death stare he received from Hermione.

All men greeted Draco first, and then each of them welcomed "Mrs. Malfoy" with class just like Draco had warned Hermione. One of the two men took all her bags whereas the second one held out a hand to help her climb into the vehicle that would fly them to Monaco. Draco got settled in easily on his own. The two men shut the doors, and a fraction of second later, they heard the main rotor blade begin spinning. Hermione was gleaming. It felt unreal, and when they got into the air, that feeling was enhanced enormously. The view was magnificent. The sun was reflecting on the small ripples in the ocean, the city stood in front of them, and they we're above all of it. The helicopter spun and they got a different view. As they moved forwards, the view changed from cliffs, to mountains, to sweet little villages on one side while the ocean seemed infinite as the split between the sky and ocean was blurred. It was a mesmerizing sight. Hermione was left without a word.

The landing was very smooth. Two other men waited for the rotor blade to stop spinning before they opened the doors. One man helped Hermione down while the other one busied himself with the luggage. Draco shook hands with everyone before turning to Hermione. She looked as if he had given her the moon. She was shining and radiating with happiness. She was truly beautiful in this dreamy relaxed state. People usually look terrible when school finishes or when they take the plane, but both of them put together couldn't even wipe off an inch of her beauty.

When Draco and Hermione turned around to leave, the men started commenting Mrs. Malfoy's beauty. Hermione was oblivious to their discussion, but Draco inched closer the Hermione. He didn't appreciate other men eyeing the same women as he did.

Hermione felt every single one of her steps was very light. She felt in a way she wasn't even sure she felt before. She was happy deep down to the root. As they got closer to a very busy street, Hermione slowed down the pace, expecting Draco to stop too and wait for a chance to cross.

"Malfoy! You can't just cross whenever it pleases you!" she exclaimed as she saw he was not going to stop for the cars.

"Ah, but of course, I can. We are in Monaco. As soon as you lay a foot between the two sides of the sidewalk, all the cars shall stop for you. I'd thought the brightest witch of our age would know," said Draco as he put his foot on the road. Just as he explained, all the cars stopped. Hermione kept silent for the rest of their walk. Silence just made the moment perfect in her opinion.

25 minutes after they left, they had reached their destination in Monte Carlo. Draco stretched an arm, grabbed a door knob, pulled, and said, "After you milady." Draco directed her towards a brand new elevator. Once inside, he pushed the button '20' which was the last floor.

"We're at the highest floor?" demanded Hermione.

"It's called a penthouse apartment, and yes. Any objection?" asked Draco, already expecting her answer.

"Bloody hell, Malfoy! Not only are we in a principality where poverty does not exist, you go for the most expensive places you can possibly find! This is not reasonable!" insisted Hermione.

"Would you prefer the master's or the guest's bedroom?" inquired Draco politely.

"Do you even listen to me?" squealed Hermione.

"I assure you I do. However, I choose to ignore it," announced Draco calmly.

At that exact moment, the doors opened in a white hallway lit by a very big chandelier.

"It's crystal for your personal knowledge," commented Draco.

"Ah, then I'll try not to knock it down," scoffed Hermione. She fought down the urge to say she'll take the masters bedroom, storm into the apartment, and slam her door shut. Firstly, she had no clue where that room was. Secondly, it was immature on her part. Finally, she was not going willing to risk the safety of that chandelier for real.

Draco opened the door of the apartment, and Hermione's jaw fell to the floor. On her left, there was a very modern and elegant looking kitchen. On her right, the living room was facing the Mediterranean Sea. The floor-to-ceiling windows let every last big of sunshine enter the room. The present sunset reflected on the sea, and the reflection line continued on the marble floor. A little further left, there was an opened door leading to the wooden patio. She let her feet go where they wanted and ended up leaning on the glass gate next to the infinity pool to watch the sunset. She felt entranced by the perfectness of the view. It was heavenly.

Draco came by a moment later. It could've been half an hour or three hours later, she didn't know and didn't care. The sun almost disappeared and the sky was bright red. She could watch this kind of view for hours without ever getting bored.

"Is everything okay? Is there a problem?" asked Draco tentatively. Maybe, he didn't really pick the best apartment, city or area at all. Maybe she felt intimidated, frightened by such immensity. He thought it was breathtaking and expected her to like it, but maybe he didn't think it right.

"Draco… I don't even think there are words precise enough to describe this. Is this all real? This has to be paradise. There can't possibly be a better place to be in the world," whispered Hermione.

"I'll take that as a challenge," responded Draco, "Come now, it's getting late. I know you're exhausted. Master's or guest's?"

"Which one is the closest?" asked Hermione yawning.

"Master's, but you'll have to climb stairs…" pointed out Draco.

"I'll take the guest's than," said Hermione as she started walking towards the door.

"Your things are already in there and unpacked. The elves-"began Draco.

"Elves?" yelled Hermione indignant. "And how did you know I would take guest's?"

"You are predictable in some circumstances. Fight for the elves' rights tomorrow. I'm actually really tired myself. Your room is the door straight ahead facing the door going to the elevator. Sweet dreams, Hermione," wished Draco before he exited the patio. Hermione followed inside the penthouse.

She got into her room and fell asleep immediately on the bed. Not taking in a single detail about the room that shall be hers in the upcoming weeks. At least, she hoped they'd be weeks or even months. Her first impression made her never want to leave this glorious paradise.

When Hermione woke up the next day, all she could see outside was the blue sky. Not a single cloud was in her whole wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Lying in bed on her back, all she could see was her white covers and the blue sky. She rolled to the side to see what time it was. It was 9:27. That was late for her! She couldn't even remember the last time she woke up that late! She was always on the move at maximum 8 o'clock! She stirred in bed trying to find the will to get out of this bed which seemed to hold her from doing anything productive during the day. It kind of was vacation after all, which meant she could spend the day doing absolutely nothing. But she heard a knock on her door.

"Malfoy?" grumbled Hermione.

"Granger, are you still sleeping?" asked Draco.

"I just answered you, dumb-"muttered Hermione.

Draco opened the door, and noted that Hermione was still lying seemingly extra-comfortable in her bed. "Well, it seems someone has been enjoying herself very much during the nigh-" mocked Draco.

"Oh, don't you start this, Malfoy," warned Hermione.

"Fine. I just came to tell you we're leaving in half an hour. We'll go eat our _petit-déjeuné_, and we've got quite a day planned!" announced Draco.

"Alright, I'll get ready. Where are my things? Where is the bathroom?" asked Hermione.

"That door on the left should be the walk-in wardrobe and the stained glass door is your bathroom. If you want a bath, you'll have to go up to my room. And it happens there's no door or any coverage around the tub," replied Draco casually as he got out of her room. Playing with her was irresistible. He loved the way she would unintentionally squint her eyebrows at him when he said things she didn't particularly appreciate.

When she got up, she realized her room had a fantastic view on the harbor. Standing close to the window, she had a perfect view of the all the yachts. Some were big and pearl-tinted and had Jacuzzis on their highest deck whereas others were dark and had garages where the men could store their luxury cars that matched with their boat nonetheless. She was amazed. This place did not belong to the same world she grew up in. It wasn't possible. This place had no flaw, and if it did, she wished to never, ever find them.

Half an hour later, Hermione was ready. She was wearing her brand new brown gladiator sandals, a high waist pair of jean shorts and a black spaghetti-strapped camisole with a cute little sleeveless over-shirt which she tied in a knot in the front. She also brought along her little beige messenger bag.

They took the elevator down and walked in Monte Carlo to find a place where they could eat breakfast. They found a cute little bakery five minutes away. Both took chocolate croissants which they ate along the way. Draco was directing them to the Palais Princier of Monaco. At 11:55, there was the Changing the Guard. It was a very touristic thing to see which meant you had to be there early if you wanted to see anything. At 11:10, they had climbed the hill leading to the Palais Princier of Monaco. They took their place right in front of the principal door. At 11:20, groups of Asian tourists flooded the place, trying to push their way to get a better view. At 11:55, the very formal ceremony began, and everything was perfectly executed.

Draco decided it was time for some shopping. Monaco was a very vivid city at night, and he sure wanted to benefit of what the city was offering. He also wanted to have the most gorgeous lady on his arm. They walked to the Monte-Carlo Carré d'Or which is where you can find the most famous luxury brands: Céline, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, Christian Dior, Gucci…

"Malfoy, what game are you playing with me? I can't even afford a scarf in any of these shops!" exclaimed Hermione.

"I'm buying, you're fine, Mrs. Malfoy," he said with a wink.

"Draco, I'm serious. You're not spending ten thousand EUROS on a dress I'll wear one night. I won't allow it," replied Hermione firmly.

"Then, I'll make sure you wear it twice," agreed Draco.

"You know what I mean. Stop kidding around. Draco, I can't accept any gift anymore from you. You've given me too much. I can't give you anything back…" admitted Hermione.

"Is that the only reason why? Oh please, Hermione. I'm not asking for anything in return. I'm here to have a good time too, and I'd be enchanted if you'd join me to one of these _soirées_ they host," maintained Draco.

"Draco, these dresses are the most expensive dresses you can possibly find on Earth. I'm not wearing them," stated Hermione.

"Yes, you will. I'll prove you wrong. Now, enter the shop, and no pouting. You're getting ridiculous," ordered Draco.

Draco and Hermione entered Prada. Hermione was angry, and decided to stay at the front of the store and look at a long bright pink dress. Draco found a sales advisor pretty quickly. He explained what he wanted and the lady went over to the front to greet Hermione. She then invited her to the second floor of the store where there was a room of mirrors where she would be able to see every angle of the dress on herself. Hermione went straight up and hid behind the changing curtains. She did not want to glance at Draco. Draco followed upstairs seconds later, but sat on one of the couches. He had been in rooms like this with his mother many times. She would discuss with three other ladies about what looked best. In his opinion, every suit he ever tried looked the same. On the contrary, dresses were an all different matter.

The lady came up with five dresses: a mid-calf length dark green bustier dress, a full length sparkly navy blue dress that had a very deep cleavage, a mid-thigh length red lace dress, a full length white opened-back dress, and the full length bright pink dress Hermione had been checking out at the front of the store. Hermione discarded the first one automatically. She didn't want to be seen in public wearing Slytherin colours at the arm of Slytherin's prince. It would be too much of a humiliation even if she didn't meet anyone she knew. She tried the navy blue dress first and thought it looked pretty nice. However, the sales advisor said she didn't fill in the bust enough for such a deep cleavage. Draco said no to the red lace dress as he thought it made her look much more like a tease than a respectable beautiful lady. As for the white dress, it just didn't suit the _petite_ body type she had. Draco was starting to get impatient. In fourth year, at the Yule Ball, she had all eyes on her. Why was is so hard to find the perfect dress?

"Ahem, Earth to Draco," coughed Hermione.

Draco looked up, and it was his turn to have his jaw fall to the floor. "Hermione, you are absolutely breathtak-" drooled Draco.

"Not so sure about the colour, honestly," interrupted the sales lady.

"And it's too long," complained Hermione.

The dress made her look like a Greek goddess. The skirt of the dress seemed to flow endlessly. As for the top, there was an intense plunging neckline, but everything seemed to stay very chic and classy. "It's your choice, Hermione. If you want another colour, we can probably set arrangements. Don't worry about the length though, you'll have exquisite heels to match with that delicate and refined dress of yours," reminded Draco.

"Draco, I still don't feel comfortable with you buying-"pleaded Hermione.

"I think a periwinkle blue hue would suit you perfectly," said Draco totally ignoring her attempts to reason him out of buying that dress. The blue hue would match the sky and the ocean while she would still stand out and look ravishing when the sun came down.

"Did you see the price of this dress?" shouted Hermione.

"I don't need to care about how much it costs," answered Draco annoyed. He turned his back to her and went to talk with the sales advisor.

Hermione went outside to wait for him.

When Draco got out, he realized she was turning her back to him, and that her arms were crossed. "Your dress will be ready in a week," stated Draco.

"Then until it's ready, we do what I want," bargained Hermione.

"Only after our little shopping spree," said Draco.

"Deal," grumbled Hermione as she let him lead her into the other shops where everything was as expensive as things can get. She got a pair of gold-toned high heel platforms which actually had straps made out of real metal gold, a long but simple pair of gold earrings from which held an emerald rock at the end, a single cord necklace that held an emerald right between her breasts, a gold filled and emerald decorated head piece, and matching ring and bracelet.

As they were heading back to their apartment, they passed in front of a Haagen-Dazs counter. "Hermione, ever had sorbet?" asked Draco.

"No, and you're not buying me some either," replied Hermione hastily.

"Alright, but I want some. May you wait a few seconds for me?" asked Draco in a very theatrical way.

It brought a smile to Hermione's face which Draco took as a positive answer. Draco was in line for his sorbet, and Hermione looked at the menu thinking about what she would pick if she had agreed to try. She probably would have picked a scoop of hazelnut flavoured sorbet or lemon flavoured sorbet or chocolate flavoured sorbet. The menu looked awesome until she saw the prices. A single scoop cost 4,50 EUROS. That was insane. Who had enough money to buy this kind of sweet? She turned around and noticed the whole terrace was filled.

"Ah, my favourite flavour ever: raspberry! Would you be curious enough to taste?" asked Draco already stretching out his arm so she could take a bite.

Hermione took the little spoon standing straight up in his sorbet and tasted. Well, maybe it was worth the 4,50 euros after all. It definitely tasted divine.

For the whole week following that day, Hermione had the right to choose the activities they would do at all time of the day. She chose to stay around and spend the whole week relaxing like on a vacation. They would wake up and get ready to go buy their croissants at the bakery they found on the first day. Then, they would walk and chat around the city for an hour before heading back to their apartment because she sun was getting dangerous. She would then read in the living room with the sun burning her skin without causing any damage because the glass windows were protecting her from all adverse effects. Then at around 3 o'clock, they would walk to the Larvotto beach, and swim and tan until it was approximately 6 o'clock. That's when they'd go back to their apartment, clean up and go out to eat in local restaurants. They'd always be back in time to see the sunset which they would always watch from their patio or their infinity pool.

Every day spent in this paradisiacal world made her grow attached to the place even more. She had fallen in love with the view, with the food, with this kind of life. All her senses were satisfied to their maximum extent.

Before they split up for the night, Draco reminded Hermione of an important detail, "Don't forget the deal ends tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:** Falling in love with the man

Hermione was shaken awake by Draco. When she opened her eyes, it was still very dark outside, "What time is it? Why are you waking me up?" yawned Hermione as she turned to him.

"Well, your Highness, your days of ruling are over. I'll be taking the reins from here, and it happens my yacht is ready for departure. And since you asked, it's four in the morning," informed Draco.

"Yacht? What are you saying?" mumbled Hermione as she tried to understand what was happening.

"Well, I told you I was keeping the yacht trip for later," smirked Draco.

"No, you were kidding," snapped Hermione.

"As a matter of fact, I was deeply serious," said Draco, "Now hurry up a little or you'll make us miss a very breathtaking sight."

Now, those were the right words to motivate her. Everything this place had to offer to her eyes she would accept. She would never get enough of it.

Five minutes later, she was out of her room, ready to see whatever he wanted to show her. They took a couple of minutes to get to the yacht Draco had mentioned.

"Do you know why boats are assigned names?" asked Draco as they were walking in the harbor getting closer to the bigger boats.

"Hmm, no. My knowledge on the nautical world is kind of restricted," answered Hermione.

"Nowadays, we do it for tradition. In ancient times, they would name their boat after the goddess they wanted protection from while they were out at sea," explained Draco.

"Did you name your boat?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, and I'm sure you'll be able to guess which one it is without even glancing at the English flag," hinted Draco.

"It's the only boat with lights on and crew members on deck," guessed Hermione. Draco nodded. They reached the 20 meter boat called "Harmony".

"Draco, did you name-"started Hermione.

"Harmony is the goddess of harmony who also happens to have a very similar name to yours," confirmed Draco.

Hermione liked the boat very much. It was part of the bigger yachts tied to the harbor, but it wasn't too big. The super yachts which were more than fifty meters long and four decks in height did not come to the dock. They threw their anchor close and came to the land in a smaller motor boat which could often be found stored inside the garage of their yacht.

Right after climbing in and greeting the 4 men crew, the men working busied themselves and Draco decided to give Hermione a little tour. At the back of the boat, on the main deck, was an exterior dining table. When you entered the doors separating the inside and outside, you stood in a small living room and kitchen. There were also spiraling staircases to the sundeck and to the lower deck which housed crew members and other guests if they had wanted to bring others along. On the other side of the small living was a door leading to the master's suite. Draco brought Hermione to the sundeck where there was a big cushioned platform for them to lie on.

"You can sleep if you want. I'll tell you when we're there," whispered Draco as he lay next to her.

"I'm cold," commented Hermione.

"I'll go get blankets then," suggested Draco as he got up and went down to the master's suite.

When he came back, Hermione was sleeping. He unfolded one of the thickest blankets and threw it in the air so it fell flat on her. He then tucked her feet so she wouldn't be cold and so the blanket would not fly away since there was a breeze blowing due to the ships movement.

Approximately three quarters of an hour later, the ship stopped moving and all the motors went silent. Draco could not hear the crew men, but that's exactly what he had asked. Hermione had told him a week ago that there could not possibly be a better place to be in the world than on the patio of their penthouse as the sun was going down. He told her he was taking that as a challenge, and this was exactly what he was trying to achieve.

"Open your eyes Sleeping Beauty," ordered Draco.

"Sleeping Beauty had to be kissed to wake up," answered Hermione shyly. Draco had been the perfect travel buddy. It was like their Hogwarts years never had any negative effect on both of them. They were just like two good friends relaxing on a great trip in the world's most beautiful place to be in. But that's the thing, they had become two good friends. Nothing more, right? He was on a mission, he had to care and make sure she was safe because he was obliged to do so. Right? And what was he protecting her from again? They hurried out of the country and then Monaco stole all her preoccupations from her. Did it even matter?

"If you want my lips on yours, you can just ask," joked Draco. He would kiss her lips right now seriously. She reflected the beauty of the place. However, he felt like she wasn't ready for that kind of thing. She was still dreaming about that sunset they saw last night, and the smoked salmon salad they ate for supper, and the sweet lady that gave her an extra macaroon because she found her smile exquisite. She was in love with this place and he saw it in her eyes as she looked around. He was just a travel buddy for her, wasn't he?

Draco angered her. He always teased, and it frustrated her because she wanted it for real. It was like he knew, and kept playing with her. She sighed.

"Is something wrong?" asked Draco.

"No… I… You never told me what kind of trouble I was in," replied Hermione visibly trying to work out things in her head.

"It's not that hard to guess, really. After the war, loads of people wanted to hunt you and your friends-"said Draco.

"Ex-friends," noted Hermione bitterly, "I'm sorry, Draco. Let's talk about this another time. I don't want this moment you took time to arrange to be ruined by my bad mood."

"Alright. Would you like to see the sun rise twice this morning?" inquired Draco smiling.

"How is that possible? The sun won't go back down to surprise you a second time you know," observed Hermione.

"I'll show you then. Stand up. Oh come on, there's no magic involved, I promise," said Draco as he held out a hand to help her up. She took his hand and stood up.

The sky was beginning to lighten up, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. The ocean was so calm that the only sound that could be heard was her rumbling stomach. And if she turned around completely, she noticed that there was not an inch of earth anywhere in her vision.

"Look on your left, Hermione," announced Draco quietly.

Hermione saw the some rays of bright light poke hesitantly at the horizon before strengthening and taking their place.

"If you lie down now, you'll be able to see it again because of the Earth's curve," explained Draco. Hermione listened to his advice and shivered as the sunlight left her face while she bent down to lie flat on her stomach. They didn't have to wait very long, because the height difference wasn't very big. About a dozen of seconds later, they saw the rays of bright light poke the horizon again. In this moment, Hermione felt like they were alone in the world; not a speck of land to be seen, not a buzzing fly to be heard. The sky regained its light blue tint, and the ocean lost its dark gloomy look. Sunsets symbolize the end, but sunrises mean beginnings. She felt as if her bucket list fell empty. There was nothing else for her to see that would make her life seem fuller.

"So, did I manage?" demanded Draco.

"Manage what?" asked Hermione intrigued.

"I told you I'd find a better place to be than on our patio at 9 o'clock at night," reminded Draco.

"Oh. Well, I guess you can be proud of yourself," smiled Hermione.

It's not very good for your eyes to stare at the sun, so Hermione and Draco turned their heads the other side. The sun was quickly rising in the sky and the air was already warmer. Hermione wanted to nap again, so Draco went back down to get the sunscreen so she wouldn't burn. Hermione had gotten a very nice tan in the past week, and absolutely did not want to ruin it with a sunburn. Draco and Hermione helped each other with spreading the sunscreen over the backs. Draco was amazed by the smoothness of her skin every time he had the chance to cake her back with sunscreen.

Hermione had taken off her beach dress and laid down in her bikini on her stomach to let Draco apply the sunscreen to her back. Draco was lying down on his side leaning on one of his elbows with the bottle of sunscreen in one of his hand whereas the other one was applying it to her back. As he was applying it to the bottom half of her back, he made sure to graze her sides as he knew she was ticklish. He found her terribly cute when she squirmed under his touch. He moved up to doing the top half of her back. When he neared the strap separating both halves, he usually lightly pulled the strap off of her skin so his hand could pass underneath, and applied sunscreen in the objective of avoiding unwanted sunburns in case the tissue moved. This time, when he pulled the strap off of her skin, the two sides unhooked from one another and her back was left bare of any straps. Her lack of reaction made Draco wonder whether she was asleep or didn't care to expose herself to him. Draco left the two straps unhooked and finished rubbing the sunscreen on her skin. It'd give her a chance to have a uniformly tanned back. He then went back down to put the sunscreen away. He talked to the crew men and the motors were brought back to life. They would go eat their _petit-déjeuné_ in Cannes today, then their _déjeuné_ in Nice, and would come back and be in time for the _diner_.

At the end of their little cruise, as soon as they set foot on Monaco's harbor, they left to go get Hermione's dress. Before leaving the shop, Hermione tried on the dress. It looked perfect on her. She really wished she would get more than a night in this stunning apparel. She turned around in the mirror room to see every angle of the dress, and she seemed to float in that dress. She'd totally wear it every day, but sadly that wasn't very hygienic.

They went back to their apartment. They had a reservation in two hours and a half in a restaurant right in front of the casino. Hermione didn't waste a minute and jumped in her shower. When she got out, she got in her underwear and started blow drying her hair. She took a whole hour and a half to transform her bushy hair into a gorgeous half up half down hairstyle. She then took three quarters of an hour to apply makeup that made her chocolate brown eyes stand out and her lips so desirable. Being on a tight schedule, she barely took the time to look at herself and started running around her room to find her jewelry and heels. She slid her feet in her heels, put on the earrings and bracelet, untied the back of her dress and stepped inside to slide it up on herself. She couldn't tie the back as she wasn't flexible enough for such activity.

"Malfoy, uh, can you help me a little?" called Hermione shyly.

A few moments later, Draco hesitantly opened the door of her room. She was in front of her mirror, and he couldn't let go of the eye contact he had with her reflection as he walked towards her. He was now the one dreaming. The most beautiful woman in the entire universe was staring at him, and not only was she staring at him, she was smiling at him… only him.

"Why did you require my presence, beautiful lady?" asked Draco in total awe.

"Well, I can't bring the zipper of the dress up, and would you mind attaching the necklace afterwards?" said Hermione trying to seem confident for the impressive man who was watching her carefully. She noticed a very pleasant sent emanated from his body as he got closer. Draco was incredibly handsome. Gel held his blonde hair in place, and none of it covered his perfectly cut face. His bright blue eyes never left hers, but she still managed to see that he wasn't done preparing. The top of his button-down shirt wasn't tied and both halves of the bowtie around his neck were hanging loosely.

Draco took a step forward and gently took the back of the dress in his hands to bring the zipper up. It started quite low, and he was questioning himself as to why she was letting him see so much of her lower back, but as soon as he tried pulling it up, he realized what the problem was: it was stuck. He tried tugging on it, but it only gave him a better view of her behind. It was covered by matching blue lace knickers. He prayed a little inside that this wasn't going to result in anything embarrassing, and finally, after a stronger tug, the zipper went straight up to the middle of her back without any difficulty. Hermione then handed him her necklace and he tied it with great ease.

"Need a couple more minutes?" asked Draco.

"Yeah, but it shouldn't be long," replied Hermione unable to move her gaze away from the reflection of his face.

"Perfect, because our driver should be here already," smirked Draco.

"You know the restaurant is two streets away from here," reminded Hermione, but Draco had turned around and left her room. Hermione sighed. Draco was throwing money out at every occasion he had. Was he like this all the time? Was every girl he was asked to protect treated the same way? Was she any different from any other?

When they got out of their apartment block, a very luxurious black car was waiting for them. She didn't recognize the brand, but the sign looked like a crown or a trident. Hermione was holding on Draco's arm partly for etiquette, but mostly because her heels were six inches high, and she did not plan on diving onto the sidewalk tonight. They had to look pretty impressive for tourists to stop walking around and start taking pictures of them without hiding their intentions at all. The chauffeur opened the side door before they reached the car and closed it once both were seated inside the vehicle.

Apparently, Draco had told the chauffeur to zigzag in the streets so the ride would take longer than the 30 seconds necessary to reach the restaurant from their building. When they reached a high peak of the city, the car slowed down to a stop. Draco opened his door and offered Hermione a hand which she took without hesitation, but a little perplex.

"Why are we stopping here?" demanded Hermione.

"I want to remember this as long as I live, Hermione," explained Draco, "would you please allow our chauffeur to take a couple of pictures of us in front of this magnificent sunset?"

"But we won't see us in the picture if we are between the light source and the photographer," stated Hermione.

"Ah, there's Miss-know-it-all!" Draco winked, "actually, we'll turn a little and he will stand over there. The sun will come from behind me, but will be straight in front of you. I will shift a little to your left so that you don't end up with my shadow hiding half your beautiful face."

"Fine," agreed Hermione. That actually was a great idea. She wanted to remember this, forever. Hadn't he said the same a couple of seconds before? Was it possible he actually felt something similar to what she felt for him?

They took a few pictures. The first ones were all very serious poses, but slowly, the poses became more humoristic. They then got back into the Maserati–Hermione had learnt the name of the brand of the car they were driven in–, and got to the restaurant. They were actually dining on a terrace in front of the casino which was filled of parked luxurious cars. On the other end of the terrace, an orchestra was playing beautifully. Every man was dressed as chicly as Draco, and every woman wore multiple thousands of euros apparel. They were the youngest of all present guests, and Hermione attributed that cause to the excessive amount of glares that were thrown their way. She got used to it after a while, and only concentrated on the man who had invited her to this magnificent place. They had an exquisite seven service meal, and when they left, the night had taken up all the sky. Draco wanted to visit the casino that was just a couple of steps away, and Hermione didn't feel like opposing herself to him. However, when they got in, the numerous sources of noise made her dizzy and she asked Draco if they could get away from the cacophony. Draco found a bar, bought drinks and brought her on the casino's gallery.

"There are so many stars we can see here," observed Hermione, "unlike in London… I remember the starry sky at Hogwarts. I prefer this one."

Draco was looking at Hermione. He saw the reflection of the stars in the iris of her eyes, and he couldn't believe how beautiful she was. "I prefer this view," declared Draco. She was leaning against the white marble wall separating her from the ocean, and he was standing right in front of her… very close to her with one of his arms pressed on top of the short marble wall.

"Draco… I…" mumbled Hermione. She felt hot, but that wasn't due to the alcohol in her blood. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and that was due to the man right in front of her. The moon was high and bright in the sky, not a single cloud was present to hide a single star from her eyes, they could hear the clash of waves hitting the beach and the complicated notes played without a slip by orchestra, she could smell Draco's cologne… In such an atmosphere, romantic attempts were bound to succeed, weren't they? But it would take courage… She was a Gryffindor at heart, she could do this, couldn't she?

"You don't have to say anything," noted Draco. Had he pushed her too quickly? He felt her head lean on his chest, exactly where his heart was, and took that as a positive sign.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" asked Hermione as she closed her eyes. She was extremely comfortable on Draco's chest. She could probably get used to sleeping on his chest.

"Only if I get to do the same," replied Draco.

Hermione let a few seconds tic off the clock before she said, "Deal. I'll start: do you treat all girls this way?" This reminded her of the Muggle game 'Truth or dare'.

"If you're asking if I buy ten thousand euro dresses to every girl I meet, well the answer is no," answered Draco. Hermione lift her head up. Draco saw that she was visibly unsatisfied with his answer. He added, "Fine. As a matter of fact, I don't see much people in general. I find social gatherings where all people do is gossip quite boring, and they seem to be the only gatherings existing for people our age. I tend to occupy myself in other ways. So, to answer your question, it seems that the answer is no, because I just don't hang out with girls really. My turn now: what is your biggest fear at this exact moment?"

Hermione's curiosity had turned against her. She did not want to admit that she was afraid he would laugh in her face if he knew how she felt about him, or that she was afraid he would turn out like Ron and leave her to rot in her own tears. After a few moments, she said, "It's not fair. I went with an easy question on you, and your question is difficult."

"It is not difficult. You obviously already have the answer," whispered Draco, "What would have been cruel would have been to ask: Do you love me?"

Hermione felt herself weaken. He knew. He knew. He knew. And he didn't say anything more? He must be playing with her, trying to add her to his list of conquests. Her eyes filled with tears, and she straightened up. She didn't want to be that close if he didn't feel the same way.

Draco carefully put down his drink, and pressed his other arm on the low marble wall, trapping Hermione in between his arms. He bent down his head, and repeated, "What is your biggest fear at this exact moment, Hermione?"

"I'm… afraid of… that… well… that you don't feel the way I feel about you," wept Hermione as she lowered her eyes. She felt Draco gently lodge one of his hands between the wall and her hip. The other one lifted her chin a heartbeat later.

"Look at me, Hermione," ordered Draco softly.

"I-"began Hermione.

Draco's lips were now millimeters apart from Hermione's. He said, "Shh, listen to me, I want you to hear what I'm about to say. Hermione, I want you to know that I think that you are the most exquisite woman in the world. You are, without doubt, the smartest-"

Draco was cut midsentence by Hermione's lips that pressed against his.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: **Missing

Hermione's eyes fluttered open. Since the sun was very high in the sky, she guessed it was probably around noon. She closed her eyes trying to relive every moment of the previous day: their little private cruise and their night.

The previous night, a very loud explosion sound coming from the harbor had broken their embrace: fireworks. They quickly moved to the right end of the gallery, closer to the harbor, where a little crowd had already formed to watch the show. Every week, a different country presented a firework show above Monaco's harbor that lit up the entire principality. This week, Canada was the country in charge, and the show was flawless. The temperature cooled down rapidly, and Draco was rubbing his hand up and down Hermione's upper arm to prevent her from shivering. Ten minutes into the show, they decided to head back to their penthouse. They would have time to see the _grande_ finale from their patio.

When they got in their apartment, Draco quickly moved a lounger close to the right end of the patio. He lay down, and Hermione lay down on top of him. Her head was resting on his chest, right over his heart. One of his hands was on her back whereas the other one was holding one of hers. When the fireworks were over, you could hear the numerous boats' horns honk as if they were applauding the wonderful show that had been presented to them. Hermione and Draco were exhausted from their day, and so Draco brought Hermione in his arms to his room. It was the first time she had seen the masters' bedroom. The king-size bed seemed quite small in the huge room that took up the whole floor and that had a vaulted ceiling. The windows were spotless and standing on the edge of the room gave her the impression of standing on the edge of a building with nothing protecting her from a terribly high fall. The impression made her dizzy, so she turned around to face Draco while kicking her heels off.

He had taken off all his clothes except his black boxer briefs. She picked up off of the floor his button down shirt and put it on before letting her gown fall to the floor. She then lay down next to him in the gigantic bed, and fell asleep quickly after sharing a very passionate kiss.

Back in the present moment, she realized that Draco wasn't next to her in the gigantic bed. It was probably late, so he must have gotten up. He could be taking a shower, reading a book in the living room, swimming in their infinity pool, or maybe he went out to get some food since they didn't cook at "home". She jumped out of bed and went downstairs. He would have left a little note if he got out to do some errands, but there wasn't any note on the kitchen counter to be seen and not a sound was to be heard in the penthouse. Well, maybe he forgot to leave her a warning he got out? The apartment was dead silent, but she just grabbed a book that was lying on a table and let herself fall on a couch.

After fifteen minutes, Hermione put the book down. She couldn't concentrate on the words, because her thoughts were on Draco. She stood up from the couch with the objective of getting ready. She slipped in a pair of light brown high waist shorts and put a flower-printed camisole. As she was brushing her hair, she heard a knock. This was peculiar… This penthouse was his, he had the key, why would he knock?

She hurried to the door, eager to see her beautiful blonde... boyfriend? Smiling, she opened the door very wide, expecting to see Draco, but… it wasn't Draco. Instead, two bulky looking men were standing in front of her.

"Mrs. Granger?" said the taller of the two men.

"Who are you?" asked Hermione suspiciously.

"We were sent here by the ministry," began the other man. They seemed very serious and gave her the impression she better not mess with them.

"Where is Draco?" cut Hermione. Hermione was confused. What was happening?

"Confidential papers have fallen in his possession. He was not supposed to be attributed your case. There has been a mistake. He is now back at the ministry. They will have to solve the mystery of what happened. We are now in charge of your personal safety," continued the man.

"But I'm fine, I don't need your protection. I can wait for him to come back. You can leave. I'll be fine," insisted Hermione.

"It is not your decision to make," said the taller man in a very serious tone.

"I am the brightest witch of our age, have you not heard so?" laughed Hermione awkwardly.

"We have very explicit tasks. We have orders to follow, and we will use force if necessary," continued the man.

"Can I go back to London then?" said Hermione hopefully. She didn't want to spend time with these two men. Their expressions were hard, and they didn't seem very talkative.

"No, you are to stay here," ordered the man in a tone which indicated that her case was sealed and closed.

Hermione quickly learned the numerous restrictions that she would have to submit to. She wasn't allowed getting out of the penthouse, contacting anyone from the outside, trying to communicate with the elves, harassing her two guards with questions, using any kind of magic…

After a day of this, she was already dying of boredom. She had plenty of books, but she wasn't capable of staying absorbed in one as usual. Her mind kept going back to Draco. What was he doing? What had happened? Why had Draco been dismissed from the case? He had treated her more than perfectly. It didn't make sense.

After a week of what she referred to as 'Hell', she was having very frequent mood swings, and her guards were not lenient with her attitude. She spent her days waiting for the sunset. It calmed her, because it reminded her of Draco. How long was she going to be kept prisoner of this richly furnished penthouse far away from the man she felt closest to? The guards all refused to give her just an approximation. All they ever answered was: "We'll tell you when we know." And it wasn't the kind of answer Hermione could be satisfied with.

A week later, she just couldn't take it anymore. The food she was given was terribly dull, she was done rereading all the books she had brought with her, she didn't manage to get another word out of the mouth of any of the two guards, and worst of all, she missed Him terribly. She missed the croissants they'd eat together, she missed observing banks of dark coloured fishes swimming underneath them at the beach… Bloody hell, she even missed his smirk and his ceaseless teasing comments.

Two weeks had passed since she opened the door to fall upon these two despicable men. She had to do something about the terrible treatment she was suffering. She was presently fighting against a terrible craving of human interaction. She didn't recognise herself. She would usually be the first to admit she was happy by herself if surrounded by books… Was this a side effect of love? She took a firm decision. To get someone's attention, she decided to stop eating. She was full-on motivated to go on a hunger-strike.

She stayed in her bed, and kept herself hydrated. The first entire week of the process, she had enough energy to hold up her a book and read for the most part of the day. The first days of her starvation were hard, but a big part of the difficulty is mental. She remembered reading an article a while ago on Ghandi that had gone on a hunger strike for 21 days. Further in the same article, there were noted reports of hunger strikes from political prisoners that lasted more than 70 days. She didn't expect to reach that stage, and she hoped she would get attention before reaching any critical stage. Every time the guards would approach her with food, she would happily take it in, and when they had left the room, she would throw it down a garbage.

A week later, the guards noticed Hermione slept more and more, but didn't think much of it. The next week was harder for Hermione. She slept through most of the days, and she felt weakened intensively. She didn't sit up in her bed anymore, and didn't have the energy to spend hours re-reading books anymore. At the end of the second week of her hunger strike, one guard realized that Hermione's cheeks had hollowed dramatically. He tried waking her up, but he didn't manage the task.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: **The Story of the Year

After realizing she would not wake up, the two men rushed her to the nearest hospital: _Centre hospitalier Princesse Grace_. They would have brought her to St. Mungo's, but they knew magic had not interfered with whatever had gotten her sick, and they felt like they would run out of time. One of two men quickly left Monaco to inform the Ministry whereas the other man stayed at the hospital to invent a plausible lie about their situation to satisfy the nurses.

She was quickly rushed through the emergency. Once they figured out what was wrong and stabilized her state, she was still kept in intensive care for two whole days while she remained unconscious. Two days later, she was flown to St. Mungo's after the Ministry had arranged all the preparations necessary to get her back in the country.

Over the next week, Hermione kept dozing in and out of sleep on her hospital bed. At first, she didn't even have the strength the open her eyes, but she always felt a hand holding hers. Then, when she did open her eyes for a few moments, she saw Draco. He knew she was very weak, so he merely smiled at her, or whispered encouragements. Her lips were burning with questions, but she was too weak to speak and fell asleep seconds after.

Every single day, her state improved, and every single day, she spent more seconds watching him smile encouragingly at her. His presence was very comforting for her. A few days later, she could smile and whispered back all while holding his hand.

"Don't ever try something like that ever again, Hermione," said Draco in a very soft tone.

"I needed you," replied Hermione weakly.

"Didn't need to act so selfishly, my dear," smirked Draco while rubbing his thumb up and down on her hand.

"What? Selfish?" asked Hermione trying to get the joke.

"Yes, you heard me. You forgot about MY needs while making the decision to starve yourself to death, didn't you? Starving yourself could have deprived ME from having you, and I need you. I need you to be healthy, and happy, and your usual you. Know-it-all and all the rest," smiled Draco.

"Oh, I see. I'm the one in the hospital bed, but you're the one that complains. Always need to bring everything back to your great person, huh?" laughed Hermione.

"I'm just teasing, and you know it. My point is, don't you ever do that again," said Draco looking at Hermione straight in the eyes.

"Then, don't ever leave me without any notice again" replied Hermione in all seriousness.

"Deal," agreed Draco.

"So… Care to tell me what happened?" inquired Hermione while she closed her eyes since she was exhausted.

"Um, if I start right away, you'll fall asleep while I'm talking. It's nothing you have to worry about now, so I'll tell you when you're better, alright? I'll let you rest now. I'll be back tomorrow, I promise," whispered Draco before kissing her forehead and silently exiting the room.

Every single day, Draco would be there when she would wake up, and every single day, they had more minutes together. Over the few next days, she started drinking water by herself, and even slowly restarted eating alone. She was quickly getting better, and she was now eager to leave the hospital. She didn't mind going to her apartment, or her parent's house, or wherever with Draco, but the hospital was starting to bore her even more now that she was awake for a greater part of the day.

A week later, Hermione was awake before Draco arrived, and she was waiting for him with great news.

As soon as he got in her room, she exclaimed, "I got up today, and everything went great! The doctors say I'll be able to leave in a few days! At the max, I'll be out in a week!"

"Wow, Hermione. That is truly great," congratulated Draco.

"I know! The doctors want me to have someone around to help me though, so I can't go to my apartment and live alone for some time," continued Hermione.

"Uh, actually, you won't be able to go to your apartment until… it's rebuilt," announced Draco.

"I think I've got enough energy now to know what happened exactly…" said Hermione.

"Yes, I agree. So, ready to hear it all, angel?" asked Draco.

"I think I don't have much of a choice, huh," replied Hermione.

"Yes, so… Here's the complete truth: about two weeks before I found you in Hyde Park, I was at the Malfoy Manor when a strange message was sent to my mother. We're done with the Death Eater thing, but they must have made a mistake and contacted us too. Anyways, ex-Death Eaters had planned to destroy the Golden Trio years ago, but they chose to lie low for a while, and plan something big," explained Draco.

"So, Harry and Ron were in danger too?" questioned Hermione.

"Well, yes. I warned the Ministry, but they didn't want to listen to me. I didn't have any proof, and they didn't want to waste any time on this. They didn't think Death Eaters would target the Golden Trio, and how could they trust me if I had any of their plans? Anyhow, in the plan, you were the first target since you left magic behind you, were easy to find and quite under protected. So until you were defeated, Harry and Ron were safe, you see. The Ministry has been supervising you since the end of the war, but you never were aware of it. I actually lied about getting a very important case. You see, I actually chose to steal the folder of your case and take the matter in my own hands seeing that the Ministry wasn't going to do anything. Also, if I succeeded, they would be in the obligation to recognize my fidelity," continued Draco.

"A little selfish, I see," winked Hermione.

Draco blushed. "A little… But I have to say, that trip was unlike anything I've ever known. You're the best travel buddy anyone could ask for. Anyways, did you know the penthouse we were in was actually a wedding gift my father gave to my mother? So in reality, our little trip wasn't as expensive as it felt," mentioned Draco.

"Did you just happen to forget about the yacht?" argued Hermione.

"Well, in reality, the yacht isn't mine. A business partner who happens to be a close family friend owns it, and would lend it to my father when we would go to Monaco. A phone call was all that I needed to do in order to get it ready for us," informed Draco.

"Seriously?" gasped Hermione. So it seemed that Draco wasn't the kind to throw money away at any chance he had. Those were good news.

"Absolutely. However, while we were gone, your apartment was kind of… under attack… Ex-Death Eaters didn't understand why you weren't any place they had noted you could be, and once the Ministry got wind of the news of the attack on your apartment, they didn't understand where you had gone to hide either. No one knew what had happened to you," commented Draco.

"But, didn't you say you took care of my job and everything?" asked Hermione.

"Well, I didn't precise where we were going. I merely explained that you were going on vacation for a while. No one has been hurt, do not worry. Anyways, that's when they remembered I had spoken about an attack on the Golden Trio. They figured they had to find me to find you. My mother guessed in a few seconds where I had gone, so they found us quickly. I was brought to London, and interrogated. They didn't want me to go back to you until the whole affair was cleared since I could be leading them to you. No one knew that the penthouse is a Malfoy possession, so you were obviously safe if you were kept there. Things went slowly, because the ex-Death Eaters had a plan in the case their initial plan failed. And when I got hold of the news that you had been hospitalized, I did everything I could to bring you back here. Bringing you back in the country actually leered the ex-Death Eaters out of their hiding spot, so we've got them. And you're getting all better, so this story has a happy ending which also means this is the Daily Prophet's Story of the Year," finished Draco.

"You're the hero of the story, aren't you? You've ended up with the recognition you had wanted, right?" inquired Hermione.

"Well, Malfoys get everything they want. Don't they?" smirked Draco.

"Would a Malfoy ever want a Granger?" replied Hermione.

"I'd have to admit that the young damsel in distress was the greater trophy of this adventure," said Draco as he bent over to kiss her lips.

A few moments later, Draco broke their embrace, and said, "You know, summer is not over yet."

"What are you implying?" asked Hermione who concentrated a little too much on his lips as he talked.

"Well, you don't have any obligations until summer is over," observed Draco.

"It seems so," granted Hermione.

"So tell me, where are we heading, Captain? I still need to find you a second occasion to wear that magnificent periwinkle blue dress," noted Draco.

"You are giving me the illusion of choice, aren't you? You've already picked the destination and planned everything, haven't you?" questioned Hermione suspiciously.

"Brilliant! Hermione, you are so brilliant!" gasped Draco in awe.

"Let me guess: we're going back to paradise, but we'll be in a limousine from Nice to Monaco. Am I right?" speculated Hermione.

"Either you can read my mind, or I'm a little too predictable," suggested Draco.

"Well, I did earn the reputation of brightest witch of our age. Maybe you should get used to being outsmarted by me," smirked Hermione.

"I think I might be rubbing off on you… Bringing everything back to your personal greatness, that's not very Granger-like," winked Draco.

"I'm learning from the best, aren't I?" hinted Hermione.

"Indeed. One day, you might become almost as great as I am, and will therefore be considered second best," commented Draco.

"I always beat you in Hogwarts, not so sure it will be a task so difficult to repeat," pointed out Hermione.

Draco shut her up with a kiss. Then, he murmured, "That, princess, is where you happen to be deeply mistaken."

"Please, go on," said Hermione inviting him to express his point.

"I can show you, but not here and not now," answered Draco as he bent down to lay his lips on hers again.

When Hermione was released from the hospital, they both flew to Nice, and took a limousine right up to Monaco just like Hermione had guessed. Being back in the environment where their relationship blossomed gave them the impression that they had never left the place to begin with. Their daily routine took back its place unaltered in their lives, and the present moment seemed to be infinitely wondrous. But how can things go otherwise in such a perfect land?

**Author's note:**

_Thank you so much for reading my first piece of writing ever! If you're reading this, then you've probably read the whole story, and I really want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read something I wrote ^^_

_This story means a lot to me, because exactly a year ago, I was leaving Montreal for Monaco with two of my best friends for a week! Even though we didn't stay in a penthouse (I am a student after all!), I've fallen in love with the city myself! I hope I was able to communicate my admiration for this city through Hermione's feelings well enough!_

_Thank you again! If you enjoyed this piece of writing, I'll be happy to read your reviews _


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